In 1981 the musical “Cats” premiered. Apparently revenge is a dish best served cold — and in a metal doggie bowl.

At last, canines take over the stage in the world premiere of “Mutt House,” in a guest production at Kirk Douglas Theatre through Aug. 5. As this musical reminds us, the thoughts and feelings of dogs are much like our own — though usually nicer.

Tony Cookson penned the book, which is packed with 20 original songs by John Daniel, David O, Robb Curtis Brown and Cookson. We know we’re not in for Sondheim tunes when the program lists among the song titles “I’m Lying Here (Scratch Me),” “When You Hear Barking (I Hear Words Instead)” and, inevitably, “Sniff.” But the songs perfectly suit the story.

Heather Olt and Boise Holmes in “Mutt House” (Photo by Daren Scott)

It takes place in a dog shelter and centers on Eddie (Ryan McCartan), a rather reticent young man, though he can and does speak with dogs. His manager, Gerry (Boise Holmes), is a decent guy who can’t speak up when he needs to.

The uber-ambitious Mayor (a majorly domineering Heather Olt) has decided to close the shabby shelter. Her aide Hannah (Claire Adams) has been delivering notices to Gerry, but Gerry hasn’t found a way to let Eddie know.

Eddie had a crush on Hannah in school. She had been one of the few who didn’t bully him, at least for a while. Now here they are, face to face. Only the dogs know Eddie’s deepest feelings and fears. In part he told them, in part they smell the pheromones he’s emitting.

Will the shelter close? Will Eddie find the courage to open up to Hannah? Will Gerry admit his feelings for the friendly neighborhood dogcatcher (a majorly cheerful Olt again)?

And will the audience stop thinking about “Cats”? Scenic designer Stephen Gifford includes a pile of junk upstage, lighting designer Matthew Brian Denman paints in a vibrant palette, and costume and makeup designer Allison Dillard seems to have shamelessly, and wittily, borrowed from John Napier’s originals for those felines.

Further, at the top of the show, Joanie the aged ragged bloodhound (Valerie Larsen) is led toward a hinted-at fate reminiscent of the Heaviside Layer (that’s the afterlife in “Cats,” in case you’ve forgotten).

Her place in this motley pack is soon taken by Sophie, the prissily flirtatious French poodle (Larsen again). But as Sophie reminds us, dogs are brought to the shelter for a wide range of reasons, including losing their masters to our own Heaviside Layer.

Director Ryan Bergmann creates the right tone: comedic and light but with a sense that underneath the songs (music direction by Anthony Lucca) and the dancing (Janet Roston’s choreography) lies a lesson about how we are our brothers’ keepers as well as our pets’ best friends forever.

And so we care about the fates of the shelter and its current residents, who also include the salsa-dancing Chihuahua Pepe (Gabriel González), the sweet mutt Donna (Amanda Leigh Jerry), the loving but perpetually hungry pit bull Bradley (Garrett Marshall), the exuberant Lab named Digger (Ben Palacios) and the cuddly Corgi named Max (Max Wilcox).

The performers charmingly create their roles, with appealing voices and full physicalities.

So, while it’s no “Cats,” “Mutt House” may remain in our, ahem, memory, for a nice long while, too.